The VIA Renaissance cars are rusting away prematurely while the Budd built stainless steel rolls onward with elegance.
Amtrak had a former President Tom Downs who treated Amtrak like NJ Transit and believed all "old" heritage equipment should be retired. He lacked the sense to know that long distance trains require more grandure than daily commuters. Tom Downs was great for NJ Transit, but eliminated Amtraks most interesting cars and in my opinion reduced Amtrak's allure for more than just transportation.
